Railroad signaling apparatus



(No Model.)

J. D. TAYLOR. RAILROAD SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 450,645. Patented Apr. 21, 1891.

AM/n/ 1/1115 Jl LL,

G W/f ATTORNEYS PATENT JOHN D. TAYLOR, OF PIKETON, OHIO.

RAILROAD SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 4;50,645, dated April21, 1891.

Application filed July 18, 1890. $erial No. 359,151. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN D. TAYLOR, of Piketon, in the county of Pikeand State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Railroad SignalingApparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing, which is a side elevation with one halfof the receivinginstrument separated and dropped below the other half tomore clearly show the connections.

My present invention is an improvement on the invention for whichLetters Patent of the United States No. 420,255 were granted to meJanuary 28, 1890.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby signals may betransmitted with certainty and accuracy.

My invention consists in the combination of a polarized relay forreceiving the signal from the main line and operating the local circuitand electrically-operated signal receiving and transmitting devices, allas hereinafter more fully described.

The signal is received from the main line M L by the polarized relay R.

In describing my improved apparatus I assume that it is in use at astation whose call or signal is the combination of two negative impulsesand one positive impulse, which in the single-needle telegraph code isthe letter G. The relay R is provided with two levers Q and Q, havingthe usual contact-points and retractile springs and provided witharmatures K and K. The armature K is made of soft iron, and is attractedby the magnet R of the relay R whenever the said magnet is energized byeither a positive or anegativeimpulse. The armature K is a permanentmagnet, which is arranged relative to the poles of the magnet R. of therelay, so that a negative current sent through the relay-magnet willcause the armature to be attracted and a positive current will cause itto be repelled. The poles of the magnet R are extended laterally at theupper end of the magnet, so as to allow the armatures K and K. toapproximate them. The yoke, cores, and pole-pieces of the magnet R areof soft iron. \Vhen a signal is sent over the main line, the firstimpulse, which is a negative one, causes the armatures K, and K both tobe attracted and brings the contact-points of the levers Q and Q, intocontact with the bar I. This operation closes the circuit of the localbattery B through two channels, one through 1 I Q 2, the magnet M, 3, a,X, Z, and 5, back to the battery B, the other through 1 I Q, 6, magnetM, 7, i, X, Z, and 5 back to the battery B. The current passing throughthe magnet M causes the armature-lever L to be drawn down, and the saidarmature-lever, acting through the pawl (2, moves the ratchet-wheel Gforward one tooth.

The armature-lever L is provided with the usual limiting-stops (notshown) for preventing it moving too far in either direction verticallyand to keep the armature within the field of the magnet M. It also has abeveled projection :0, which drops between two of the teeth and preventsthe momentum of the ratchet-wheel G from carrying it forward more than asingle tooth at a time. The said projection is therefore in the natureof a detent, and it will be noted that it requires to be of such lengthas will enable it to engage the wheel G the instant the latter has movedthe distance of one of its teeth.

The ratchet-wheel G, the spur-wheel F, and the wheel D are all attachedrigidly to the shaft A. The wheel D is perforated in its periphery witha number of equidistant radial holes, the number being equal to thenumber of teeth in the ratchet-wheel G. Metallic pins, preferably ofplatinum, are driven into certain of these holes, the remaining holesbeing left blank. The pins project about a sixteenth of an inch beyondthe pe riphery of the wheel D. The said wheelD is placed on the shaft Ain such a position that each stroke of the armature-lever L brings oneof the holes or one of the pins of the said wheel directly under thecontact-screw w, carried by the armaturelever N of the magnet M. All ofthe wheels O, D, E, F, and G are represented in the drawing as being atthe zero or starting point. The current of the battery B in passingthrough the magnet M, as described, causes the lever N to be drawn down.The motion of the lever N is limited, and upon each upward stroke itacts through the pawl c to move the wheel O forward one tooth. Thecontact-screw 20, carried by the armature-lever N, is adjusted so thatwhen D under the contact-screw 11;, so tnatthe armature-lever N does notmake contact with the wheel D. \Vhen the electrical impulse ceases, thearmature-levers L and N return to their former position under theinfluence of their respective retractile springs. The wheels G and C areheld in their new positions by the retaining-pawls d and Z),respectively. The second impulse, being also negative, acts in preciselythe same manner, bringing the second hole in the periphery of the wheelD (which in this case is also va cant) under the screw to, at the sametime moving the ratchet-wheel C forward another space. The thirdimpulse, secured by a positive current passing over the. main line,causes the armature-lever K to be attracted, but repels the the armatureK. Under these conditions the current from the battery B flows throughthe magnet M only, the circuit being from the battery B, through 1, I,Q, 2, M, 3, 4, X, Z, 5, and B. The movement of the armature-lever Lunder this impulse brings the pin w in the periphery of the wheel Dunder the screw to; but as the arinz'ttur'e-lever N is not affected bythis impulse it does not come into contact with the said pin a; of wheelD.

To make the action of the machine perfectly reliable, the signal isrepeated twice more, the repetition, as already described, in eachsuccessive impulse (positive or negative) bringing successive holes inthe periphery of the wheel D under the contact-screw w. The holescorresponding to the negative current are blan k, and thosecorresponding to the positive current contain pins. Each negativeimpulse moves the wheel forward one space. About one-half of the upwardstroke of the armature-lever N at the cessation of the last. negativeimpulse in the call brings the platinum pin 7o, carried by the wheel G,into contact with the spring-pressed lever X. This operation closes thecircuit of the battery B through the signal S, the circuit being fromthe battery B through 8 V, the lever T 9 1O 7 X C k 11, switch S s 12 S13, back to the battery B, the lever T being held normally in contactwith the contact-screw V by a spring. The remainder of the upstroke ofthe armature-lever N separates the spring-pressed lever X from thecontact-point Z, thus breaking the circuit of the batteryB between theleVerX and the con tact-screw Z, so that the magnetsM and M are notfurther affected by both iInpulses passing over the main line.

The signal will remain in the circuit until the knob of the key S ismomentarily depressed, bringing it into contact with the point 8 andseparating it from the'contact-point s. The circuit is now from thebattery B through 8 V T 9 10 X C 11 S s 14, magnet M 15 13, back to thebattery B. This energizes the magnet M causing the armature-lever P tobe drawn forward. The armature-lever P is connected through the lever fand the Wire 0 with the pawl-releasing lever e, and-through the wire (1with the pawl d, which also acts as a releasing-lever for the pawl c.The forward motion of the lever P pulls the pawls a and 17 away from theratchet-wheel G, and the said ratchetwheel G and the wheels D and Freturn to the point of starting under the influence of a spiral springattached to the shaft A, the spring being omitted in the drawing. Thepawls c and cl are also pulled away from the ratchet-wheel O, and thisratchet-wheel returns to the starting-point under the influence of aspiral spring. The ratchet-wheel O is stopped at the proper place by thepin m,

insulated electrically from the wheel 0 and V engaging the lever X. Thewheel D is stopped at the proper place by the pin to, engaging theleverT,which is thus thrown against the back contact-screw T. Thecircuit of the battery B is broken by the separation of the lever T andthe contact-point V, and the lever P is released. The relative positionsof all the parts are now the same as at the start.

Having described the manner in which a signal is sent by means of aproper call, Irwill now describe how a signal is prevented when a callother than the proper one for that instrument passes over the line.Suppose the instrument is set for G, (two negative impulses and onepositive impulse,) as before, and that the call W (one positive impulseand two negative impulses) is sent. The first impulse, which is apositive one, moves the wheel D one space, but will not affect theratchet-wheel O, as before described. The next character (which isnegative) moves the wheel D another space, and at the same time movesthe ratchet-wheel 0 one space. The third impulse (which is alsonegative) moves the wheelD anotherspace and brings the pin as under thecontact-screw w. This last impulse also causes the lever N to be drawndown, bringing the screw to into contact with the pin cc, closing thecircuit of the batter T B, so that the curren't'fiows from the saidbattery through 8 V, the lever T 9 16, the lever N, screw to, pin 0c,thewheel D 17 14:, the ma net M 15 13, back to'the battery B, thus causingthe armature-leverP to be drawn toward the magnet M pulling the pawls dand 19 away from the ratchet-wheel G, and removing the pawls c and (Zfrom the ratchet-wheel 0, allowing the wheels to return to the point ofstarting.

To cause the armature-lever P to be retained a sufficient length of timeto allow the wheels G D O to return to the point of starting, a spring19, attached to the armature-lever P, is brought into contact with thecontact-screw 0' on the forward stop 0 when the armature-lever P beginsto approach the magnet M thereby closing the circuit of the battery B,so that the current flows through 8 V, the lever T 9 18, forward stop 0,the spring 1), the armature-lever P 19 17 It, the magnet M 15 13, backto the battery 5. This causes the armature-lever P to be retained untilthe circuit is broken by the removal of the lever T from thecontact-screw V, as before described. Suppose now the instrument to beset for as before, but the signal or call D, which is made by onenegative and two positive impulses, is required to be sent. The firstimpulse (which is negative) will move the wheels D and 0 each one space,as before described. The second and third impulses, being both positive,would each move the wheel D one space, but would not affect the wheel C.The second and third set of impulses, representing the letter 1), wouldact in the same manner, each moving the wheel D three spaces and thewheel G one space. Thelast positive impulse of the last set of signalsbrings the pin under the contact-screw ur, the same as in the case ofthe letter G, but the wheel C has moved only three spaces instead ofsix, the number required to throw the signal into the circuit, and thenext negative impulse which passes over the line brings the screw 10into contact with another pin, as each hole beyond thepin z is providedwith apin. This operation throws the magnet M into the circuit andreleases the wheels D and O, as before explained. In the same way it maybe shown that any combination of'impulses other than those for which theinstrument is arranged would bring the lever N and wheel 1) into contactbefore the wheel 0 had moved far enough to throw the signal into thecircuit.

Unison between the transmitter and the receiving-instrument is effectedby means of the segmental spur-wheel E, which meshes into the spur-wheelF upon the shaft A. The spur-wheel F has the same number of teeth as theratchet-wheel G, and in order that the segmental Wheel E may drop intoplace when it is returned to the starting-point the said segmental wheelis required to make only a part of a revolution, and the side oppositethat provided with teeth is furnished with a weight TV to return it tothe point of starting when it is released from the spur-wheel F. Thesegmental wheel turns on a stud projecting from the upper end of thelever J. The said lever .I is pivoted near its center to a fixed supportprojecting from the base of the instrument. A spring .1 is arranged topress against the lever J and hold the segmental wheel E in engagementwith the spur-wheel F A pin 7L projects from the segmental wheel E inposition to engage the lever J, so as to stop the segmental wheel E whenit is returned to the point of starting. The lower end of the lever J isconnected by a wire 3 to an arm n projecting downwardly from thearmaturelever N. Another wire 9' connects the upper end of the lever Jwith the armature-lever P of the magnet M so that whenever a negativeimpulse is sent over the line or the mag net M is in circuit thesegmental wheel E will be pulled away from the spur-wheel F, andconsequently allowed to return by its own gravity to the point ofstarting, as already described. The pin carried by the segmental wheelE, comes into contact with the post g, support-ed by the base piece,whenever the segmental wheel E is moved to its extreme forward limit.The pin j is placed at such a distance from the post g that when thesegmental wheel E is at the starting-point it will require a greaternumber of positive impulses than can occur in succession in the call forthat instrument.

To make the same device of general application, a greater number ofpositive impulses than occur in succession in any call on the line arerequired to bring the pin j into contact with the post g. For example,suppose this number to be six and the pinjis placed six spaces from thepost g. Then when the segmental wheel E is at the starting-point sixpositive impulses sent over the line will bring the pin j into contactwith the post g, closing the circuit of the battery B through 8 V, thelever T 9 18 20, the post 9, pinj, the wheel E 21 17 ll, magnet M 15 13,back to the batteryB. This causes the armature-lever P to be drawntoward the magnet M releasing the wheels D, O, and E, when they allreturn to the point of starting.

The manner of proceeding when it is desired to throw any signal into thecircuit is to first send a negative impulse. This will release thesegmental wheel E, as above described, allowing it to return to thepoint of starting. Six positive impulses are then sent. This brings thepin j into contact with the post 9, thus closing the circuit through themagnet M releasing the segmental wheel E, the wheel D, and theratchet-wheel 0, all of which return to the point of starting. As thepin j is placed at the same distance from the post 9 in all theinstruments on the line they will all be set at zero by making a signalconsisting of one negative and six positive impulses. Thus by repeatingthe call for any office on the line three times the signal at thatoffice will be thrown into the circuit.

I do not limit or confine myself to the exact construction herein shownand described, as I may in practice modify the construction to adapt theinstrument to use under different conditions. I may also use theequivalents of the mechanism herein described in lieu of that shown inthe drawing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In railroad signaling apparatus, the combination ofthe relay R, having a double contact-bar and two armatures, one of whichis polarized, with the circuit-controlling armature-lever N, the WheelD, provided with a series of equidistant peripheral holes and a seriesof contact-pins 00 y, &c., inserted in certain of these holes, means foracting on said wheel to rotate it, and an electrical circuit, includingsaid relay, lever, and wheel, in the manner shown and described.

2. In railroad signaling apparatus, the combination, with theratchet-wheel G, of the armature-lever L, having the hinged pawl a,

and the rigid (lete-nt w, adapted to successively engage said wheel formoving and locking' it, as specified, and the wheel D, having a seriesof peripheral contacts and mounted rigidly on the same shaft with theaforesaid ratchet-wheel, the armature-lever N, having the contact w, themagnets M M, and suitable electrical connections, as shown anddescribed.

JOHN D. TAYLOR. Witnesses:

JOHN I. VANMETER, W. M. SEYMOUR.

